Wagon-rack



J. SHAFER.

WAGON RACK.

(No Model.) I

Patented Oct. 10, 1882.

INVENTOR I d%a%j% v ATTURNEYS- UNITED STATES PATENT @EEICE.

JOHN SHAFER, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

WAGON-RACK.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,878, dated October 10, 1882,

Application filed August 12, 1882. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN SHAFER, of L0- gansport, in the county of (lass and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Wagon-Beds and WVood and Hay Racks, of which the following isat'ull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a wagon-bed which may be converted at willinto a rack for wood or a rack for hay; and the invention consists of the several features of construction and the combination of the elements hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. 1

1n the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved wagon-bed, showing the means of using the same as a wood-rack. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the bed, showing the means of using the same as a hay-rack; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

The wagon-bed is constructed with any desirable number of cross-bars A, having inortises near their ends, in which are keyed tenons 13, secured to the side-boards C. The sideboards 0 are provided with longitudinal ribs 1) at their upper and lower edges, which are constructed with vertical mortises or openings E to receive the standards F, by which the wood-rack is formed, and for receiving tenons by which upper side-boards .may be secured in position when desired. The bars A are made to project at the outer sides of the side-boards O, and are provided with standards G, bolted thereto and extending upward about half the width of the side-boards. The upper surface of the standards G is recessed near the sideboards to form shoulders f for holding the removable eXtension-standards H, which are provided with hooks h, engaging with openings E, formed in the uppermost ribs D of the sideboards inthe manner of the openings E. The forward cross-bar, instead of being made to project beyond the side-boards in the manner of the bars A, is made to correspondin length with the width of the bed, and to the outer surface of the side-boards, above the ends of said cross-bar, are secured bracketsl for a purpose yet to be explained.

The forward end-gate, J, is provided with mortised pieces K, secured to its inner surface at the ends, and the side-boards are provided with mortises corresponding to the mortises in said pieces, whereby said parts shall be held together by means of tenons L, inserted into said mortises from outsidelthe bed, and secured therein by pins passing through the inner ends of the tenons.

The bottom of the bed is formed of three or more pieces, the central piece, M, of which is formed with converging edges, while the two adjacent pieces M have their edges which are in contact with the central. piece inclined so as to receive the latter between them in the manner of a wedge. The central piece is therefore made movable longitudinally, while the other pieces are held stationary by means of suitable projections at the ends, and also by tongues N, secured to the crossbar A, and underlapping lips N, secured to said pieces M. The contact-edges of the central piece and the two pieces adjacent thereto are beveled, as shown in section, to prevent the central piece from escaping upward when wedged in between the two others. a

When the bed is to be used as a wood-rack the standards F are to be inserted into the openings E in the manner shown in the drawings. The upper ends of these standards are provided with rests f, so arranged that the rests in two adjacent standards shall serve to support a connecting-bar, O, which is connected to a corresponding bar on the opposite side of the bed by means of a chain or cord, 0. By means of the bars-O and chains 0 the standards are firmly supported against strain at their upper ends.

When the bed is to be used as a hay-rack the standards F are laid aside and the construction of the bed is modified in the following manner: The extension-standards H are removed by slightly disengaging the tenons B from the cross-bars A, and in their stead are placed the laterally-inclined arms P. These arms are adapted to fit upon the standards G, and are provided with hooks in the manner of the extension-standards which engage with the openings E. The tenons L, which hold the forward endgate and the side-boards together, are also removed, and in their stead are placed the arms P, which have the general shape of the arms P, but are provided with tenons fitting in the mortises in the side-boards and in the pieces K, attached to the end-gate, to hold said parts together. The arms P I? are thus adapted to form a supporting-frame for the slats, which are usually laid upon such parts in forming hay-racks. The slats which are to be secured to the said arms will lie parallel with the sides of the bed to form a broad supporting-base for the load of hay.

When the bed is to be used for the ordinary purposes of a wagon-bed upper side-boards may be attached in the usual manner by means of tenons secured to the upper side-boards and fitting into the openings E, or by means of removable tenons passing through mortised ribs or iron loopsin the said upper side-boards.

Having thus described my invention, What 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination of the cross-bars A, having mortises near their ends and standards Gr at their extreme ends, the side-boards O, having tenons B and ribs D, provided with openin gs E E, the removable extension-standards H, supported upon standards G, and having hooks engaging with the openings E, the removable tenons L, securing the side-boards to the forward end-gate, and the brackets I, secured to the outer surface of the side-boards underneath the tenons L, substantially as shown and described, whereby the standards F of the Wood-rack or the inclined arms P P of the hay-rack may be combined with the bed at will, as set forth.

2. The combination of the cross-barsA, having tongues N, the bottom boards, M, having lips N engaging with tongues N, and provided with inclined beveled edges, and the central bottom board, M, having converging beveled edges and adapted to be wedged between the adjacentboards, substantially as 4.0

Witnesses:

QUINCY A. MYERs, JOHN G. NELsoN. 

